Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Karen. Karen Wonders, “What is the Nobel Peace Prize?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Karen!

Do you watch the news? If so, you know that the world can be a scary place. War and fighting happen across the globe. It can happen between countries or even between people in the same nation. The reasons vary. But one thing stays the same: wars hurt many people every year.

However, some people and groups work to end wars. They try to make and keep peace. Sometimes, organizations like the United Nations help people reach peace. Other times, the people in a country’s government do this hard work. 

When a person does great work for peace, they might get a special award. Called the Nobel Peace Prize, this honor is given to one person each year. The prize is given for work that makes peace between countries, reduces standing armies, or creates peace organizations.

The Nobel Peace Prize was started by Alfred Nobel. He was a Swedish inventor and weapons maker. Nobel invented dynamite. Later, he became very interested in the process of peace. Upon his death, Nobel funded a series of prizes. There is a Nobel Prize for peace, chemistry, physics, medicine, and literature.

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize gets a medal and a diploma. They also receive a large sum of money. However, the real honor is worldwide recognition. Many see the Nobel Peace Prize as the world’s most prestigious award. To date, the Nobel Peace Prize has gone to over 100 people and over 20 organizations.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901. Each year, a five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee picks the winner. The members of this committee are chosen by the Norwegian Parliament.

Some famous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize are Malala Yousafzai, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa. A few United States Presidents have also won the prize, including Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Other well-known winners include Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

Who would you nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize? Maybe you could win it one day yourself! If that’s your goal, start thinking about how you can work for peace. You can even start with your family or a group of friends. How can you make the world a more peaceful place?

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRAR.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.1

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